After exiting the maze-like alleys, the destination appeared.

Bastian looked at the unfamiliar street with narrowed eyes.

On both sides of the narrow street, where a single carriage could barely pass, shops were lined up tightly. Mostly taverns and gambling dens, or theaters with obscene posters. It was a world-like landscape that existed only for pleasure.

“What are you doing? Let’s go, Bastian.”

Lucas von Ewald’s face was full of anticipation as he tapped his shoulder.The only son of Count Ewald, the head of the Senate.

Bastian couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm at the face of his best ally from the military academy. Just by slightly pulling up the corners of his lips, the cold expression on his face changed in an instant.

Bastian followed the group that had led the way with Lucas. Their destination was the gambling house at the far end of the road. It was the building with the most plausible exterior on this street, but it was nothing compared to the social club he had stayed in a while ago.

“This place has its own unique fun. You’ll find out soon.”

The officer whose eyes met Bastian’s said with a sly grin. Erich, the eldest son of a prosperous Faber family in the steel business, was another connection that should not be neglected.

Bastian happily agreed and smiled this time as well. He had not the slightest desire to ruin his reputation with the kind of deviance in these back streets, but that didn’t mean he was foolish to antagonize himself by pretending to be above such pursuits. The wisest course of action would have been to play along and then stand up when the time was right.

“You are finally here! I was beginning to worry because I hadn’t seen you in a long time.”

A middle-aged man, presumably the owner of the gambling house, greeted them with exaggerated joy. It was a clear hospitality that was motivated solely by the knowledge of how much money they would be spent here tonight.

“This person is…….”

His gaze, examining the officers, stopped on Bastian’s face.

“This is Captain Klauswitz, a name you must have seen in the newspapers.”

Lucas, who immediately emptied the glass, introduced Bastian proudly. The man, who blinked his wide opened eyes, burst into a joyful exclamation soon after.

“I never thought I would meet the hero who protected the seas of the empire here! It’s an honor, Captain.”

After a flurry of compliments, he presented a gift of quality whiskey and a box of cigars.

Unlike the officers who were thrilled with the hospitality, Bastian’s face showed no emotion. He went through the motions of drinking, smoking, and chatting, without an emotional investment to any of the excitement surrounded. It was hard to find more enthusiasm, but even at that moment, his lips did not lose their smooth painted smile. It was a kind of habit that his body remembered without being aware of it.

Women, gambling, dirty scandals in the dark.

Different topics completely different from when they were at the social club with sophisticated conversations and debates passed quickly with laughter.

Bastian was mostly a listener. At times, he responded appropriately, but even that did not deviate from the scope of short answers or light laughter.

“The second floor is ready, gentlemen.”

The owner approached with quick steps and bowed his head.

The officers, who had stopped chatting at that point, readily rose from their seats. Even though everyone drank a fair amount of alcohol, they moved with the high energy and vitality of young soldiers.

“One more time! Please, please! Just give me one more chance!”

It was just when they entered the hallway on the second floor that led to the VIP card room that they heard a plea that sounded like a scream. An elderly man dragged out of the normal card room was pleading with the guards.

The eyes of the officers who stopped walking all at once turned to the commotion. The man was now on his knees on the carpet in the hallway begging. He was a typical gambler who couldn’t let go of the table even after losing all his stake.

Bastian, who had stopped paying attention to the trivial fuss, lifted the cuffs of his uniform and checked his watch. After dinner at the Admiralty, drinking at a social club, and now this, the time was approaching midnight.

After tidying up his clothes, Bastian erased his tiredness by slowly opening his closed eyes. It was at that time that the man from a moment ago started to riot again.

“Let me in! I still have stakes left!”

“Ah, yes. Is that so, beggar Duke ? Then, please show me your stakes.”

As if this hadn’t happened before, the guards mocked with languid faces.

“That’s… that, yes! My daughter! I will bet my daughter!”

The man shook off the guards’ hands and exclaimed triumphantly.

“You all know what a great beauty my daughter is, right? Compared to her, the stakes are nothing.”

Even while the speechless guards clicked their tongues, the man continued to roam the card room, speaking passionately. As Bastian watched, a laugh mixed with a sigh broke out between his lips, and Erich, the son of the Faber family stepped out.

“Hey. Are you going to take responsibility for what you just said?”

He gestured at the tables and strode to the father who was about to sell his daughter in a gambling frenzy.

“Are you willing to give up your daughter for a bowl of chips?”

He looked back at the pile of chips on the table in the card room and turned to face the man again.

“…… Yes, yes, of course! In this capital, no, I can proudly say that my daughter is the most beautiful woman in this empire.”

The man who swallowed dry saliva shouted loudly.

“I think this version will be more fun. What about you guys?”

Erich Faber asked for consent with a rather interested face. The officers, who exchanged glances, responded by stealthily turning toward the card room where the man was located.

Bastian watched the skit with eyes as calm as deep in the night. It seemed that he could finally understand the allure that made the children of prestigious families become regulars of these third-rate gambling establishments.

“Come quickly, Bastian!”

The group sitting around the card table began to call his name, urging him on.The father who succeeded in selling his daughter was also looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Bastian went towards it with a light smile on his face. As soon as the last slot was filled, the game began.

Bastian checked the cards dealt to him with a cigar in his mouth, weighing his options.

Though the outcome was not in his favor, it wasn’t that bad of a loss.

***

The sound of the bell announcing midnight permeated the silence of the deep night.

Odette paused her hands, which were diligently weaving the lace, and raised her head. Tira, who insisted on helping out, was sound asleep lying on her stomach on the table.

Odette let out a soft sigh and sorted out her work. She packed up the half-finished veil and cotton thread, and massaged her sore hands from holding the needle all day long. In the early spring night sky visible through the faded curtains, a white full moon was floating.

“Tira.”

She tapped her lightly on the shoulder and called her name, causing Tira to open her eyes in surprise.

“Has father not returned yet?”

Tira, who was looking around with a face that was still sleepy, cried out.

“What if something happened to him?”

“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. It won’t be a big deal.”

After giving a calm answer, Odette led Tira, who could hardly let go of her mind, and headed for the bedroom.

The room the two sisters shared was north facing, overlooking the river that ran through the city. The view of the beautiful Prater River and the drawbridge was great, but on a windy day like today, they had to suffer from the creaking of the old window frames.

“That sounds so bad. It’s like a ghost weeping.”

After washing her face, Tira muttered sullenly. Her reddened cheeks glistened in the dim light of the lamp.

Odette gently caressed her sister’s cold cheek with her hand, which had been heated by friction.

Until last year, they had been able to live in a house with hot water, but their father had money problems and he had to find a cheaper rental house. Still, it was thanks to the pension given by the imperial family that he was able to get the top floor of an old building on the outskirts of the city. Considering that, at worst, they might have been left stranded on the street, Odette found even that terrible noise sweet.

“Go to bed now.”

Odette, who gave Tira a short kiss, ordered.

“I’m not a baby.”

Tira obediently lay down on the bed while retorting with her disapproving tone. It wasn’t long before she began to hear the low sound of her snoring.

Turning down the lamp, Odette left the bedroom with quiet steps. First, she put away the food she had left for her father on the dining table and closed the door.

After making a meticulous list of daily necessities to buy with the money from selling tomorrow’s lace, the night deepened.

She was so exhausted that she wanted to throw herself into bed right away, but Odette did not forget to wash up, put on her old sun-dried pajamas, and brush her hair with care.

Under no circumstances should one lose a minimum of dignity, her mother used to say, as was her habit. It was the same even after she fell into such a poor position that she could no longer be called an aristocrat. For the day when they return to their original place someday.

Her mother, who clung to her faith-like hope, passed away without being able to escape from her miserable reality. Although she vaguely forebode that her own life would be the same, Odette still did not want to erase the traces of the past that were deeply rooted in her. In other words, it was her last legacy left by her mother.

Odette tightened the lock on the window, drew the curtains, and lay down next to Tira. When she closed her eyes while holding her younger sister who was burrowing into her arms in her sleep, today, without anything special, felt very fulfilling.

It was a night that gave her a little bit of fairytale hope that these peaceful days could continue forever.

***

It was unpleasant luck.

Bastian looked down at the table with dismay. Four cards of the same number. No matter how many times he looked at them, it was an unmistakable victory.

“Five! I think Captain Klauswitz has won the most beautiful woman in the empire!”

“What. Isn’t it a foul to bring the goddess of victory to the deck of cards?”

The party who confirmed the winner of the game began to cheer. As if they had already completely forgotten their defeat. Just immersed in the stimulating fun of this situation.

Bastian brushed the ashes from his long cigar, rubbing his throbbing forehead. The perfect victory in the casual gambling table was an embarrassment.

“Is the beggar Duke looking at his son in law?”

“Come on, now you have to pay your stake!”

The onlookers who surrounded them began to urge with low booing.

Bastian looked at the old man sitting across from him with a cold mocking gaze. The old man was half dazed, his big eyes wide open. Cold sweat dripped down his flushed face onto the back of his thin hand.

“No way…… That, it can’t be…”

He started fidgeting with his now useless hands, his whole body shaking.

Bastian stood up from his seat. He was thinking of leaving this place before getting involved with the daughter of such a pathetic man, but the party seemed unwilling to let him go.

“Where are you going? You have to get your money’s worth!”

“That’s right, Bastian. This is your legitimate right.”

The officers holding Bastian tightly called in the watch guards.

“I want him to bring the stake he promised.”

The guard’s eyes shook at Erich’s commanding words. The old man who finally came to his senses started crying and begging for mercy, but the excitement of the onlookers only grew more and more.

“Immediately go to collect his debt.”

Upon hearing the news, the owner came running and gave a stern order. The guard let out a long sigh and eventually left the gambling house to fetch the woman.

Bastian sat back in his chair and took a deep breath of the smoke from his cigar. It was a victory that made him feel quite dirty, but he did not bother to express it. Stake money to throw away anyway. The choice that would give him the biggest profit was to return the money quietly after he had adjusted to this atmosphere first.

Bastian let out a faint, annoyed sigh along with the smoke from his cigar. Through the scattered pale smoke, he could see the father who had sold his daughter to him. The man called beggar Duke was wailing like a child.

The night trolley that had traveled through the darkness stopped at the entrance of the entertainment district.

Odette got out of the carriage with the gambling house guard who had brought her here. Their empty seats were soon filled with drunken people standing at the bus stop.

“Come on.”

The man’s voice aroused Odette, who was immersed in thoughts.

Odette took a deep breath and took a step towards the street colored with dazzling lights. Her vision was obscured by the black veil covering her face, but it wasn’t too difficult to find her destination. It was thanks to the fact that she had already come to fix the accidents her father had committed several times before.

“Stop, lady.”

Just as she entered the entrance of the building, the man stopped Odette.

Odette, who stopped walking, conveyed her intention to listen to him by nodding her head. But the man didn’t say anything, just let out a deep sigh. Even in the trolley he had muffled his words in this way several times.

“Is the amount large?”

Odette, who was lost in thought for a moment, asked calmly. The guard did not speak again this time.

The old man’s daughter was not too surprised to see the gambling house’s guards breaking in in the middle of the night. All she did was look at him quietly, let out a weary sigh, and ask for time to get ready to go out. She seemed to believe that it was probably about the extent of her father getting into debt while gambling, as before.

“……no.”

The guard, who had regained his composure, shook his head resolutely.

Odette was not the only woman sold to the gambling table.

He had seen countless wives and daughters of gamblers who had fallen into such dire circumstances, and he knew what their end would be. If you’re lucky, you might come to an agreement to pay the money back, but the group that won Odette tonight didn’t seem to be so lenient. Their intention was plain simple; to get the daughter of a beggar Duke, their trophy.

“Go up.”

He pointed to the stairs leading to the second floor with emotionless eyes. It was pitiful for the woman whose life had been ruined by her scumbag father, but he couldn’t be caught up in such silly pity and bring anger upon himself.

Odette, with her neck and back straight, began slowly climbing the red carpeted stairs. The hem of the shabby dress, which did not look like that of a noblewoman at all, rippled along with her soft steps as if walking on water.

Having made up his mind, the guard hurriedly followed Odette. The old man’s daughter, unaware of the tragedy she was about to face, swam in the mud with the most elegant manner.

***

Realizing that tears didn’t work, beggar Duke changed his stance and began threatening them.

Do you know who I am? If you treat me this way, you will get in big trouble. The trivial bravado that this kind of people lived like a habit dispersed in disarray along with the cigar smoke that filled the card room.

“If the news of you recklessly touching a lady of the imperial family reaches the ears of the emperor, you guys will never be safe!”

The gambler, who used to line up all kinds of splendid titles and families, now used the emperor as a weapon.

The officers who watched him, as if they were monkeys in a zoo, burst into laughter all at once. Erich Faber, who was giggling as if he was out of breath, even shedding tears.

“Hey, Bastian, you will have an audience with a lady who is the niece of His Majesty the Emperor. Do you hear that?”

Erich wiped away the tears with the back of his hand and turned his head.

“It will be an honor.”

Bastian, who smiled and replied insincerely, moved slowly and approached the window. He opened the window facing the street a little, letting the cool wind in.

He leaned against the window sill and watched the meaningless spectacle. The louder the old man’s bullsh*t grew, the ridicule of the onlookers grew. It was just when enduring this ruckus was starting to get annoying he heard a knock.

Bastian stood up, biting on the unlit cigar. The eyes of the beggar Duke and the onlookers who had stopped the fuss all turned to the entrance of the card room.

In the sudden silence, the door opened slowly.

Putting down the lighter, Bastian watched the start of the new act with his arms crossed. Old coat, gloves and hat. Even a black veil covered her face. A drab, shabby-looking woman was standing beyond the open door. The big man guarding the back was undoubtedly the guard who had gone to pick up the old man’s daughter.

The woman carefully looked around and approached her father without showing any signs of haste. The sound of footsteps quietly permeated the tense silence.

“Tell me how much my father owes you.”

The woman who stood in front of her father, who started sobbing again, said with great strength. It seemed that she had not properly grasped the situation.

Mocking and booing began to erupt from all over the place, but the woman did not even flinch. She stood upright to the point of being arrogant as she endured all the humiliation.

Bastian smirked with his well-shaped eyebrows raised and put down the cigar on the window sill. The moonlight that passed through the window made the insignia adorning his uniform and his platinum hair a paler shade.

“You seem to be mistaken about something, but the lady wasn’t called to pay off the debt.”

Erich clicked his tongue and slowly approached the woman.

“Then I will take my father with me.”

The voice of the woman who answered resolutely was cold and clear, which did not go well with this mess.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. Even if your father leaves, you have to stay.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your father wagered you in a bet . And well, he won that bet.”

He pointed to a tall man standing by the window of the card room.

Odette held her breath in a daze. It took her a few slow blinks of her eyes before she understood the meaning of his words.

“Father?”

Odette, with her wobbly legs, looked at her father as if asking for an explanation.

“I am so sorry, dear. I didn’t know it would turn out like this. I could definitely win big…”

Duke Dissen, whose face was painfully contorted, lowered his head, unable to bear his excuses. It was the cowardice he often showed when he did something he couldn’t handle. (*Duke Dissen is nicknamed beggar Duke in the gambling house because he always beg for more turns. No one knows his real name.)

Odette surveyed the crowd that surrounded her with frightened eyes. They were all in uniform, and even Odette, who didn’t know much about soldiers, could tell that they were officers in the Admiralty. Most of the soldiers serving at the capital’s headquarters were from the upper classes. It meant that they had the power to rectify any accident committed in the back alley gambling house.

A mocking whistle someone started blowing quickly spread throughout the card room. Jokes and giggles with risqué hints soon followed.

But all Odette could hear was her own erratic heartbeats. The blood in her entire body seemed to grow cold and chilled, but the breath that flowed from her quivering lips grew hotter and hotter. The man standing by the window started to move when the terrible dizziness made it difficult for her to even support herself.

Knowing that it would be futile to strategize a plan right at this moment, Odette turned her head to look at the closed door. Even if she were lucky enough to escape this place, there would be guards standing on the other side of the door.

Wouldn’t it be better to jump out the window instead?

At the moment of an absurd impulse, the shadow of a large man fell over her head. Odette slowly raised her head in the shade. The victor of the betting game was standing right in front of her before she knew it.

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

The woman’s first words were quite unconventional.

Bastian looked at the woman who was being sold to him with his eyes slowly lowered. Through her black veil, the outline of her looming face was reflected.

“To think that an officer of the Empire would participate in such a low-level gamble. I bet you don’t know that a contract to buy and sell people can’t be established in the first place.”

Her voice began to tremble slightly, but the woman persevered in admonishing. Bastian laughed a little, feeling pitiful for such an insignificant bluff.

“Looking for law and morals in a place like this doesn’t sound like a very good solution.”

“Since when did the honor and dignity of a soldier become obscured by time and place?”

The brave woman unexpectedly threw a provocative counter-question. It wasn’t a very wise move, but at least one thing that she didn’t cry like her father was worthy of high praise.

“Please forgive my father for his mistake. In return, I will pay off his debt.”

The woman who was already well-adjusted made a brazen request. Her attitude was incongruous with her predicament.

“What? Nope.”

Bastian tilted his head, giving a plaintive answer. The formal smile that still lingered on his lips made his cold eyes stand out even more.

The woman was trembling. The fear she could no longer hide ran through her body. It was a sight that gave him sadistic pleasure, though this kind of oppression was not to Bastian’s liking.

“I am the one who gives orders. I won the bet.”

Ready to put a stop to this ruse, Bastian declared. He was tired of ridiculing this woman. Bastian did not have the intention to exercise any more patience.

But if he let the woman go like this, more problems would happen.

After examining the faces of the party full of anticipation, Bastian’s gaze returned to the gambler’s daughter. The veil hiding her face suddenly bothered him. It would have been quite satisfying to tear it off in a moment of insult. Of course, it wasn’t just that he didn’t have a cheap curiosity to check out the woman’s appearance.

“Take that veil off.”

Bastian’s brief command broke the silence.

“I’m not interested in your money, and the men don’t want money either. But since a one-sided defeat would be unacceptable, so I’ll end it with a look at your face.”

Staring at the sharp-edged, wary woman, Bastian continued his dry explanation without any enthusiasm.

“Uh, let’s do whatever they want and leave here.”

The gambler, who had been watching, began to urge his daughter. He was just happy to get out of his predicament, but nowhere on his face was the guilt of the father who had sold his daughter for a game of cards.

Swallowing the anger that rose to the top of her throat, Odette raised her wet eyes and faced the man. It was a very humiliating request, but she couldn’t refuse it. It was because she knew very well that this was the best solution. For now, that man was Odette’s only hope.

“Can you keep your promise?”

The woman holding the end of the veil asked a question. Her hands in her faded gloves trembled, but her voice was surprisingly cold.

Following honor, dignity and trust.

It was ridiculous to find such a noble value in a gambling house, but Bastian nodded his head kindly. It had been a long day. He was tired, and most of all, the show was boring.

“Honey, come on.”

After the woman’s hesitation lengthened, her father urged her once more. Even if it meant unveiling his daughter himself, he was ready to do it.

Resolutely refusing to be touched, the woman lifted the veil herself. Her long, slender neck, tightly pursed lips, and a pert nose. As the woman’s face hidden beneath her black lace was gradually revealed, the excitement of the onlookers grew.

Bastian silently watched the woman with sunken eyes. The minute his bored face was slightly frowned, she took off her veil.

In the moment of silence in the card room, the woman slowly raised her head. Bastian gladly met her eyes as they looked right at him.

The woman had eyes that were an exquisite mixture of blue and green. There was a strangely clear light in her large eyes, which looked both like a frightened young animal and like a weary old woman.

The officers who had been holding their breath started to stir, but Bastian watched the woman in front of him with unwavering eyes. It was probably because the woman was too white that the shadows of her reddened eyes and long eyelashes stood out so much. The contrast between her dark hair like night and pale skin made the woman’s impression more distinct.

An empty smile crossed the corner of Bastian’s tilted mouth.

The beggar Duke was a lousy cheater, but it was clear he didn’t lie about the stakes. His daughter was beautiful.

At least that one thing was perfectly true.

After escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, the road along the strait unfolded.

Bastian stepped on the gas pedal to increase his speed. Under the late afternoon sunlight, the whole world was sparkling with gold. The roofless cream car and Bastian in a tailcoat were also bathed in the brilliant light.

Ardennes, a coastal city near the capital, was a resort area where the summer villas of the imperial and aristocratic families were concentrated. However, in recent years, mansions of new capitalists had been built one by one, encroaching on the order of the old era. It was thanks to the purchase of the estates of fallen nobles because they could not jump on the bandwagon of capital. Klauswitz was one of them.

Just as the sky to the west began to turn rosy, Bastian drove into the estate of the Klauswitz family.

The northern land with superb views, called the Jewel of Ardennes, originally belonged to a noble family with a long history. It was a prestigious family that boasted hundreds of years of history and tradition, but the end was shabby. It was Bastian’s father, Jeff Klauswitz, who was called the railroad king of Berg, who bought the land they could no longer afford.

Bastian quietly reflected on the face he would soon face. It had been two months since they had last seen each other at an award ceremony.

“Oh my God, Bastian!”

As the car stopped at the entrance of the mansion, a shrill scream rang out. It was his aunt, Maria Gross, who had gotten off the carriage that had arrived earlier.

“Don’t tell me you bring that lump of iron all the way here yourself.”

“As you can see.”

Bastian grinned and got out of the car. As he glanced at him, the waiting attendant approached and took the car.

After leaving a short greeting, Bastian escorted his shocked aunt up the stairs. Upon entering the marble hall in the lobby of the mansion, the servants lined up on both sides of the aisle lowered their heads in unison. Bastian showed proper manners this time with a light silence and a smile.

“I don’t know why you would do something your father would hate.”

As she moved away from the servants, his aunt’s nagging, which had been interrupted for a while, resumed.

“I don’t know. Maybe he’ll pity his son who can’t afford a driver.”

The evening sunlight that passed through the window of the landing illuminated Bastian, who was smiling brightly.

Maria Gross looked at her nephew with astonished eyes.

His hair neatly combed with pomade and a pure white bow tie accentuated Klauswitz’s distinctive good-look impression. His features, as well as his impressive tall height and frame, plus the overall aura, everything except for the white blonde hair he inherited from his mother was a replica of his father’s.

He was a son who was rejected by his father because he resembled his father too much. It was a funny thing.

“If there is anyone more interested in your fortune than you are, it would be Jeff Klauswitz.”

Maria Gross tried to discredit Bastian with her sarcastic jokes.

There were rumors that he inherited a considerable fortune from his mother’s family, the Illis family, but Bastian seldom revealed the name. He did that even to those in the same boat.

“It’s not what you’d call a fortune. It’s just an old house and a trust fund.”

Bastian, who was watching her blankly, gave her a modest smile. It was a plausible performance that if she hadn’t known Illis properly, she might have been fooled.

“If you don’t want to show your hand prematurely, yes, I will respect your wishes. Hold on tight instead. You know better than anyone why your grandfather left the hilt in your hand.”

Maria Gross lowered her voice to a whisper. Again, Bastian only wore a look that did not at all indicate his true intentions.

“I heard there will be an announcement of Franz’s engagement at the party today.”

Concluding that she wasn’t getting what she wanted, Maria Gross deftly changed her subject. As if he already knew this, Bastian did not show much emotion.

“Is she the daughter of Count Klein?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know very well that my father’s mouth must have been caught in his ears.”

Maria Gross looked at the end of the few remaining steps with her disapproving eyes.

It was a well-known fact that even the dogs of the mansion knew that Jeff Klauswitz had appointed his second son, Franz, as heir. It was natural that he favored the son of an aristocratic mother, who was obsessed with raising his status. Jeff Klauswitz’s happiness must have been at its peak, as the precious son was betrothed to the daughter of a high nobleman.

“You too, hurry up and marry the bride who will become your wings. It’s as easy as picking one of the girls ready to throw themselves at you.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“That’s a very believable answer.”

Maria Gross let out a soft sigh and put her hand on her nephew’s arm.

“I’ll tell you in advance, Bastian, that you should never even look at Princess Isabelle. She’s the one who’s going to send you to hell.”

It was a serious advice, but Bastian laughed as if he had heard a bland joke. “It’s not an easy thing to think about. Even if I don’t have any feelings for the princess, the emperor will think differently.”

Maria Gross climbed her final steps with a worried face.

Everyone in the society knew that Berg’s first Princess, who followed the emperor to the Naval Academy, fell in love with Bastian Klauswitz, who was selected as the best student of the year.

Although she thought it would end like a once innocent love, the Princess was still struggling with the emotions of that time.

“Didn’t the emperor’s sister, who was blinded by immature love and ruined her life? It would be difficult for him to make a rational decision if he thought that his daughter might end up living a life like Princess Helene.”

The unfortunate princess Helen.

Memories of her, evoked by the name that had flowed from his aunt’s mouth, flashed through Bastian’s mind. Come to think of it, even the beggar Duke at the gambling table mentioned that name.

He said that he was the husband of Princess Helen?

The story of the princess who ran away with her lover whom she had been secretly in love with, just before her engagement to Crown Prince Robita, was standard material for cheesy novels and plays.

Thanks to this, it was also a name favored by scammers who pretended to be her secret lover.

“Bastian?”

Maria Gross, who stopped abruptly, called out his name quietly. It was then that Bastian finally realized that he had been caught up in his own mundane thoughts.

“There will be nothing to worry about.”

Bastian’s face was arrogantly spare as he replied with conviction. Marriage in this world was the best business opportunity of all. He had never forgotten the painful lesson that his father had proven to him through two marriages, each with different benefits.

If he had to sell himself anyway, Bastian was determined to make the most profit. For that, he could do snobbish calculations and reconsider. The immature princess had long been erased from that ledger.

Maria Gross took her steps again with a satisfied expression. Passing through a long hallway, they soon arrived in front of the parlor. The exaggerated laughter of the guests who had already arrived was conveyed along with the sweet melody of chamber music. Bastian crossed the threshold of the room with a slick smile on his face.

It seemed better to ignore the news of the engagement to be announced tonight. For the sake of Klauswitz’s dignity, which his father loved.

***

“How about blocking that door with a plank?”

Tira, who was staring at her father’s bedroom door, made a wild suggestion.

Odette stopped working for a moment and slowly raised her head to look at her sister. The half-finished lace veil was sophisticated and beautiful that did not go well with this shabby rented house.

“If you close the door, then what?”

“You know what. I honestly don’t care what happens when father gets locked up in that room. No, I’d rather it be like that.”

“Tira.”

“I endured him drinking every day and gambling debts. That’s okay. I’m used to it now. But I will never forgive him for what he did to you, sister.”

Tira’s eyes filled with tears as she shouted with indignation.

With a quiet sigh, Odette rose from her seat and approached her sister. As she held her shoulders, Tira let out a sad cry as if she had waited for her.

She wanted to keep it a secret from Tira, but her father ruined everything. He seemed to be quiet for a while, but it was because he was drunk once again.

When Odette’s patience was running out, and in anger, her father recounted the nightmare night open front of Tira. It was lame excuses and sophistry stemming from his entitlement.

Still, he did eventually come back without incident.

The moment Odette faced her father who proudly uttered such shameless words, Odette gave up her last hope.

The reason Odette was able to survive was entirely thanks to the man who claimed to be the winner of that vulgar gambling bet. The officer kept his promise, and Odette was released from there only after being humiliated to the extent of pulling up the veil and showing her face. All her father did was shed irresponsible tears.

“Can we tell this to His Majesty the Emperor?”

Tira, who had stopped crying after a while, lifted her wet face and looked at Odette.

“Let’s ask him to save sister before father does that again. Maybe he’ll listen to that kind of request. Sister is His Majesty’s niece anyway.”

“That’s not allowed.”

Odette shook her head resolutely and hugged Tira’s face.

Unusual impatience was evident in Odette’s demanding voice. She knew that she was nothing more than a daughter of a bug that ruined the emperor’s sister’s life.

“Listen to me. No way, Tira. No way.”

He also said that paying pensions for the imperial family was the last courtesy to the bloodline left by the princess. If her father’s atrocities that dishonored the imperial family became known, they might lose even that.

“Come and wash your face. Let’s go.”

Odette made an impulsive decision as she looked at Tira’s crying face again. She felt as if staying in this house would do worse than hammering nails on her father’s door. Odette did not want to let her and Tira’s lives fall into such an abyss.

“Let’s go to town. Take a walk and have dinner.”

“So suddenly?”

Tira’s eyes widened in bewilderment.

“Why? You don’t like it?”

“No. Not like that. We have no money…”

“There is.”

Odette calmly cut off Tira’s sentence. It seemed that she had no intention of adding any further explanation, just by looking at her determined gaze.

Tira, struggling between the bedroom where her drunken father was asleep and Odette’s face, finally chose to hurriedly run to her bathroom. The sound of those loud footsteps diluted the despair and sorrow that were weighing down the house.

While Tira erased the traces of her tears, Odette prepared to go out as well. She had a hat and gloves on, and an emergency fund she had saved up from the sale of her lace. She also did not forget to put a small pocket knife in her purse.

“How are you, sister? Are you alright?”

Tira, who had finished her preparations, stood in front of Odette with a slightly nervous face.

Odette, carefully examining her sister’s attire, straightened the pleats of her skirt and the shape of her collar. Odette, who had touched her hair a little for the last time, nodded her head, and Tira finally smiled with relief. She seemed to be rejuvenated quickly.

Odette took her sister’s hand and left the old house by the river.

The soft sound of footsteps, as if dancing, continued along the path in the clear purple twilight.